Seal



May 28, 1935. ,5. N, HOPE 2,002,856

SEAL

Filed July 9, 1934 FIGJL Jai-N nos 45S NO. B St.

WlrNEssEs 130{ ATTORNEY Patented May 28, 1935 UNITED STATES SEAL Samuel N. Hope, Wauwatosa, Wis., assignor to Griffith-Hope Company, West Allis, Wis., a corporation of Wisconsin Application July 9, 1934, Serial No. 734,325

3 Claims.

uses and capable of being easily applied without the use of tools. f

Another object of the invention is to provide a seal in which an apertured housing is formed by a folded sheet metal blank embossed to form a chamber for confining and positioning a resilient insert-locking member.

A further object is to provide a seal in which the housing has an insert-receiving aperture of serrated shape to discourage tampering after the seal is applied.

The invention further consistsin the several features hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawing,

Flg. 1 is a top view of a card holder equipped with a seal embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 is a sectional view of the seal and one end portion of the holder;

Fig. 3 is another sectional view of the holder and seal taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is an edge view of the seal showing the insert-receiving opening;

Fig. 5 is a view of the seal and insert as they appear after the seal is twisted to break the insert, parts being shown in section;

Fig. 6 is a plan view of the embossed seal blank before folding to form a housing;

Fig. 7 is a perspective view of the resilient locking member;

Fig. 8 is a view of a modifled form of seal suitable for use as a car seal;

Fig. 9 is a sectional view of the seal of Fig. 8 as it appears when in locked condition;

Fig. 10 is a sectional view taken on the line III-III of Fig. 8, and

Fig. 11 is a plan view of the seal of Fig. 8 before it is folded to form the housing.

In that form of the invention shown in Figs. 1 to '1, I5 designates a card holder, here indicated to be used for displaying a vehicle license card I6. The card holder comprises a frame or bracket I1 secured to a suitable support I8, such as an instrument panel of an automobile, and having spaced arms I9 and 2|) between which a resilient transparent tube 2| is rotatably mounted, the card I6 being rolled inside the tube. In the construction illustrated, the tube 2| is confined at its ends by arcuate flanges 22 formed on the bracket arms I9 and 20.

A nat metal key 23 extends through the tube 2| and passes through a slot 24 and opening 25 in the :respective bracket arms I9 and 20. The end of the key adjacent the slot 24 is provided with a head 26 bearing suitable indicia, and the other end is reduced in Width to form a rounded and somewhat pointed insert 21. Registering 5 notches 28 are formed in the opposite edges of the reduced end of the key to present locking shoulders or abutments 29.

The insert-forming end 21 of the key is engageable with a lock or seal 3|! to prevent removal of the key and card-receiving tube except by breaking the key. The seal comprises an Yembossed sheet metal housing 3| having mounted therein a resilient locking member 32 formed by a loopshaped or heart-shaped leaf spring having spaced opposite inwardly hooked ends 33. The housing is preferably .formed of a single piece of sheet metal folded on itself. Fig. 6 shows the embossed housing blank before folding, the bending of the blank being effected along the dotted lines. The two halves of the blank have formed thereon triangular embossments 34 with rounded corners. When the blank is folded on itself, these embossments register to form a triangular chamber having opposite parallel faces which position the locking member. Arranged centrally within each embossment is a rounded oval dent 35. A rectangular opening 36 centrally Vintersects the folding line of the blank, so that when the blank is folded a slot 31 -is formed for admitting the -key insert into the housing. The locking member 32 loosely fits in the housing with the hooked ends adjacent the slot 31. The dents 35 of the housing project into the space within the locking member, and the dents are spaced from each. 35 other to permit the passage therebetween of the key insert, as seen in Fig. 3, thus positioning the insert within the housing. The dents also prevent excessive side motion of the locking meinber, so as to center the locking member with re- 40 spect to the slot 31. After the housing blank is folded on itself to enclose the locking member 32, the edge 38 of one half of the blank is folded over the edge of the other half to produce a firm joint. If desired, soldering or welding may also 45 be used.

To apply the seal, it is only necessary to mount the key 23 in place and then push the seal 30 onto the key insert 21, the insert entering the slot 31 in the seal housing. The hooked ends 33 of 50 the resilient locking member 32 are urged apart by the entering'insert and finally snap into the notches 28 of the insert, thuspreventing separation of the insert and seal. The locking member is confined by the housing against relative longi- 55 tudinal movement. Theseal lies close to the apertured arm 2|) of the bracket, thus interfering with any attempted use of tools to remove the seal or key. If desired, the insert may t closely between the dents 35 so as to prevent rattling of the seal. When the seal is to be removed, it is only necessary totwist it, thereby breaking the insert at the weak part between the notchesr 28, the slot 24 resisting turning ofthe key. The broken key cannot be used again,`and the seal is also incapable of further use, since the broken insert remains in the seal as seen in Fig. 5. Any unauthorized forcible opening of the seal housing will result in a noticeable mutilation.

Figs. 8 to l1 illustrate a car seal embodying the invention. In this form of the invention, a seal |30 comprises an embossed sheet metal housing |3| having mounted therein aresilient locking member 32, above described. The ,housingA is preferably formed of a single Ypiece of sheetmetal folded' on itself. Fig. 11 shows the embossed housingblank before folding, the bending of the blank being effected along thedotted lines. The two halves of the blank have formed therein triangular embossments |34, similar to the embossments 34. When vthe blank ris folded the embossments register to form a triangular chamber. Arranged centrally within each embossment is a rounded oval dent |35, similar to the dent 35. A pliable metal strap |23 is connected at one end, preferably integrally, with the housing blank and has a rounded insert |21 formed at the 'other end. Registering notches |28 are formed in the opposite edges of thel insert to present shoulders or abutments |29. When the housing blank is folded on itself, a slot |31 is formed to admit the insert |21 into the housing. The slot is preferably of serrated shape, as seen in Fig. 10,' the inner end of the strap |23 having longitudinal corrugations |39 and the spaced adjacent edge of the housing having corresponding teeth |40. The insert-forming end of thestrap has correspondingly shaped longitudinal corrugations |4|. The locking member 32 loosely fits in the housing |3| with the hooked ends adjacentthe slot |31. After the housing blank is folded on itself to enclose the locking member, the edge |38 of one half of the blank is folded over the edge of the other half, as in the Fig. l device. 'I'he foldable edge |38 maybe formed `on either half of the blank.

To apply the car seal, it is only necessary to thread the strap |23 through apertured parts |42 to be sealed, and then push the corrugated insert |21 into the seal housing |3|, the insert entering the serrated slot |31 in the housing. The hooked ends of the resilient locking member 32 are urged apart by the entering insert and finally snap into the notches |28 of the insert, thus preventing separation of the insert and seal housing. The insert ts closely in the serrated slot |31, and the serrated slot interferes with any attemptedruse of tools to release the insert from the seal housing. When the seal is to be removed, it is either twisted off or cut off and cannot be used again, since the `severed end portion of the insert remains inthe housing.

In either form of device, the inwardly projecting' dents formed on the opposite walls of the housing, as well as the insert-receiving slot, serve to substantially center the shouldered insert with respect to the gripping edges of the leaf spring, so that the leaf spring may t quite loosely in the housing without danger of losing engagement with a relatively thin insert What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is: Y

1. A seal comprising a housing having opposite walls i and an insert-receiving opening, and a resilient loop-shaped insert-locking member in said housing, at least one of said walls having a part projecting into the space within said loopshaped member to form an insert-confining space between said part and the opposite wall of the housing. f

2. A seal comprising a housing having opposite walls and an insert-receiving opening, and a resilient loop-shaped insert-locking member in said housing, said walls having parts projecting intoy the spacewithin said loop-shaped member, and said parts forming between them an insertconfining space to space an introduced insert laterally from the opposite side edges of the insertlocking member.

3. A seal.y comprising complementary `sheet metal housing portions secured together and having opposite embossed-walls forming between them a substantially triangular chamber, there being an insert-receiving slot communicating with one of the three sides of the chamber, and a `V-shaped leaf spring movably fitting in said chamber' and having its converging sides adjacent two converging sides of said chamber and spaced therefrom along at least the greater part of their length, said leafspring having spaced inturned insert-locking ends adjacent the side of said chamber having the slot.

vSAMUEL N. HOPE. 

